1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an air bag activating system and a strain relief sleeve therefor.
2. Summary of the Prior Art
The present invention concerns, in particular, an air bag activating system in a vehicle having a steering column with a fixed outer shaft containing a cassette which is rotatable with the steering wheel of the vehicle. The cassette contains an electrically actuable air bag activating assembly, a coil of multiconductor flat flexible cable being disposed between the cassette and the outer shaft of the steering column. The coil has a first lead portion connected to crash sensors outside the shaft and a second lead portion extending freely through an opening in the cassette. An electrical connector for mating with the air bag actuating assembly contains electrical terminals each connected to a respective conductor of the second lead portion. The coil of the flat flexible cable is coilable and uncoilable to compensate for the rotation of the steering wheel when the connector is mated with the air bag activating assembly.
According to a prior proposal, the second lead portion is provided with a strain relief sleeve moulded over the second lead portion and being therefore fixed thereto. It may, from time to time, be necessary for the connector to be unmated from the air bag activating assembly in order to allow testing of the crash sensors or, for example, the exchange of a gas generator cylinder of the assembly, for inflating the air bags. Under such circumstances, it may often occur that the connector is pulled in a direction away from the cassette with the risk of the connections between the cable conductors and the terminals of the connector, being impaired, given that the strain relief sleeve is fixed to the second lead portion. These connections will usually be crimped connections according to the teaching of U.S. Pat. No. 4,106,836, for example.